I love how everyone discounts Weidman's short-notice, huge weight cut involving win against one of the highest level BJJ blackbelts ever in the UFC. Maia is a world champion grappler so many times over it's redundant, and he got grapplefucked until his butt hurt. Silva sure can't say that he put on a similar performance. He stayed as far away as he could from Maia's wheelhouse.

Weidman is a really good up and coming fighter but to think he is a real threat to Silva at this time is little crazy. I like Weidman and think one day he maybe the UFC MW champ, but I don't think he is ready for Silva.

I hate how people discount Silva's skill level. Weidman has only been fighting since 2009 and fought only 9 times his hole professional career. Only 2 of Wiedman's wins have been against top 10 MWs. Silva has been fighting top 10 fighters 2x longer than Weidman has even been fighting. Silva has fought top 10 MW weights 13x and 1 top 10 LHW that was a x-champ. Not only did he beat these fighters he destroyed almost everyone of them. I have never seen a fighter get beat the way he beat Forrest, he made him look like a child.

Now I'm not saying it doesn't suck if he is really taking time off but I be damned if the man hasn't earned it.

State some specific reasons why Weidman isnt ready...Its being childish to make a statement like that and dont state reasons why...Hes headlined a main event on Fox...hes fought in World Abu Dahbi BJJ...after one year in BJJ...IM sorry but being a great wrestler with BJJ is much more dangerous than Silvas BJJ...

You obviously are a SIlva lover....

I would make the same bet with you if Silva doesnt take it...I got Weidman u get Silva loser leaves the playground forever...

you officially cant recognize talent period...Weidman will destroy Silva....The fight will end up on the ground but Weidman will sub Silva...Weidman has destroyed everyone hes fought except Maia but he took that on ten days and cut 20 pounds...

What did Silva do to Maia? With a whole camp...Silva is great of course but he also had a padded record...His best win is against an aging rusty Vitor...

Weidmans strengths are Silvas weakness...He doesnt want the fight...Silva is very popular and has big sponsorship deals in Brazil and all woulod come down with a loss...

I would bet against you one of us to leave the MMAPlayground forever on that fight....

I'm not sure I'd be telling a mod that they can't recognize talent at all and that I'd bet one of us leaving the playground on that fact, but that's just me.

While I don't share your enthusiasm, I think Weidman would beat Silva, but I think it's interesting that you seem to think Silva would lose his endorsements with a loss. Athletes lose all the time and don't lose their sponsorship deals. Especially HOF athletes.

I think Weidman will win, but there's not a lot of evidence to support your theory that his endorsement deals would come tumbling because of a single loss in like a gajillion years. I think you're being a tad dramatic.

Posted by BlueSkiesBurnYou could have said the same thing about Jon Jones or Brock Lesnar. That pendulum swings two ways. Jon Jones seemed to ragdoll everyone else despite limited experience. Hell, Weidman's first 5 fights were a lot tougher than Jones'.

Brock Lesnar's first 5 fights were tougher than Jones' as well, but you know what all three of these guys have in common? They all looked just so much better than their competition during those fights. Weidman has looked and shown more than Jon Jones or Brock Lesnar showed during their first five fights. He's won every single way possible and done it against better competition than Jones.

Just saying.

Jones had 7 fights in the UFC before getting a shot and was only give one then because Evans was hurt. You add the fact that he was fighting Shogun for the belt and not what most consider to be the greatest fighter of all time. Also saying Weidman's fights have been tougher than Jones is very debatable.

Lesnar was fighting in a weight class that has very few top levels fighters to begin with. You also have to take in to account he is a huge draw and that time the UFC HW division was very thin.

Now let me say again I'm not saying Weidman isn't a solid up and comer, but I think some are very much blinded by the fact they don't like Silva and really want someone to beat him. I do think if Weidman is given time and few more fights and if he keeps improving at the rate he is now then he could be a real threat by next year.

I'm not even going to bother to replying to kingsmasher post because he clearly is a borderline .

Weidman will own the division like Jon Jones in LHW...People who simply say hes not quite ready or this or that are just haters....Give some facts on how hes not ready...

wow all of your posts are assumptions, incorrect, etc.

whats wrong with you do you really hate anderson that much that you are blinded to see his greatness....

btw just for the record Anderson SIlva has been more dom then Jon Jones, i think you meant to say weidman will dom like Anderson has.....

Weidman will be champ someday, but he has very little chance against Silva, everytime there is a fight with Silva all the Silva haters come around and say he isnt good he will lose blah blah blah blah blah.........and yet everytime he goes out there and makes his opponent look like a fool or beats them. I heard for two years Chael will be andee, andee has no chance blah blah........its time to stop hating and see whats in your face the greatest fighter of all time who makes everyone he faces look like they are no where near his level.

I have no issue with him getting time off, sure i would love to see him fight more but aging fighters and athletes take more time off then fight, there bodies dont heal as fast from even minor little tweaks. He deserves a little time away from the stress of fighting/training, while a suitable opponent is found. Besides he wouldnt have fought until late 2012 early 2013 anyway so its no shocker. You people disgust me.........

Posted by BlueSkiesBurnYou could have said the same thing about Jon Jones or Brock Lesnar. That pendulum swings two ways. Jon Jones seemed to ragdoll everyone else despite limited experience. Hell, Weidman's first 5 fights were a lot tougher than Jones'.

Brock Lesnar's first 5 fights were tougher than Jones' as well, but you know what all three of these guys have in common? They all looked just so much better than their competition during those fights. Weidman has looked and shown more than Jon Jones or Brock Lesnar showed during their first five fights. He's won every single way possible and done it against better competition than Jones.

Just saying.

Jones had 7 fights in the UFC before getting a shot and was only give one then because Evans was hurt. You add the fact that he was fighting Shogun for the belt and not what most consider to be the greatest fighter of all time. Also saying Weidman's fights have been tougher than Jones is very debatable.

Lesnar was fighting in a weight class that has very few top levels fighters to begin with. You also have to take in to account he is a huge draw and that time the UFC HW division was very thin.

Now let me say again I'm not saying Weidman isn't a solid up and comer, but I think some are very much blinded by the fact they don't like Silva and really want someone to beat him. I do think if Weidman is given time and few more fights and if he keeps improving at the rate he is now then he could be a real threat by next year.

I'm not even going to bother to replying to kingsmasher post because he clearly is a borderline .

I know he had seven fights before getting a title. As a matter of fact, I kinda thought about this after lohmann's post. Silva taking time off could potentially give Weidman those two fights that put him over the top or we could see him so definitively beat a top contender, that he vaults ahead of everyone else.

I don't necessarily think Weidman is unprepared for Silva right now, but I don't know if he is prepared. Much like Jon Jones, we will need to see more. A couple more fights might satisfy those questions.

I would still argue that out of Jones' 1st 5 opponents, the only "real threat" to Jones was Hamill. I'd said Maia and Munoz are better than Hamill & Vera. Their first 3 fights cancel each other out in terms of basic positioning in the division.

Weidman will own the division like Jon Jones in LHW...People who simply say hes not quite ready or this or that are just haters....Give some facts on how hes not ready...

So just because some of us Thu.k he may not be ready means we're haters huh? Get real man, I WANT Silva vs Weidman but I'm still not sure he's ready. Weidman COULD win and I think he has a good shot but when you say Weidman will "dominate" and "Rule" the division and then he doesn't, it makes the guy that says that with such certainty look dumb. Let's just wait and see how it turns out, shall we

Weidman, with his level of wrestling and ground game COULD be a threat to Silva, he is a solid fighter and one of the best at mw in the UFC now. However, after reading certain posts, let me say he will in no way, shape or form dominate Silva, now, or after a another fight or two. I dont feel there is any fighter, in any weight class for that matter that could thouroughly dominate Silva. I think Anderson learned a lot about great wrestlers from the 2 Sonnen fights, and the next time he does fight, we will see much improved TDD. Now since Silva will not fight again till next year, we can see Weidman fight again, against Sonnen, Belfort, or a 185 Rashad. I see Silva defending his title sucsessfully once more, twice would be a stretch, before taking a fight with GSP or Jones, then retiring.......still the mw champ. And I see Weidman getting ktfo if he fights Silva.

Weidman will own the division like Jon Jones in LHW...People who simply say hes not quite ready or this or that are just haters....Give some facts on how hes not ready...

So just because some of us Thu.k he may not be ready means we're haters huh? Get real man, I WANT Silva vs Weidman but I'm still not sure he's ready. Weidman COULD win and I think he has a good shot but when you say Weidman will "dominate" and "Rule" the division and then he doesn't, it makes the guy that says that with such certainty look dumb. Let's just wait and see how it turns out, shall we

While I am not convinced that Weidman would be able to beat Anderson, I seriously feel as though Anderson is avoiding a fight with him, and this to me seems like a way to avoid said fight for at least a little while.

Holding out until the end of the year is going to force Weidman to fight somebody else before the end of the year, and either take him out of the picture with a loss, or give Anderson more footage to watch on him as I personally believe that one of Weidman's greatest assets at this point is that we've seen so little of him that we really don't know what all he is capable of. What he did to Munoz in the second round was something that we hadn't seen out of him before, and I think that is what makes him an intriguing match-up. That and his take downs remind me a lot of Edgar's take downs as they just come out of nowhere and leave you on your back; which is a place we all know Anderson doesn't like to be despite winning from it.

A third option by taking until the end of the year off for Anderson is that it allows another contender to rise up for him to take on, again avoiding Weidman. Like I said, I don't know if Weidman has the ability to beat Anderson, but I honestly believe that Anderson doesn't want this fight.

After his match up with Sonnen, Soares was saying that GSP and Franklin were interesting match ups, and completely discredited Weidman. To me this is crap, as we all know what will happen Silva-Franklin 3, and picking Georges over Jon Jones is obvious ducking. The welterweight division is a backed up mess, and the last thing it needs is this fight, where as the 205 is an empty cupboard that welcomes this superfight. Anderson has already fought twice at 205, looked great, but doesn't want to do it any more? C'mon.

I love watching Anderson Silva fight, the guy is the most talented striker MMA has every seen, I just wish he'd let the UFC make his fights for him, and stick to doing what he does best which is winning them.